Methodists establish leaders' forum for community engagement

Methodists establish leaders' forum for community engagement

Methodist Church leaders are being invited to attend the first meeting of a forum that aims to work with people at engaging in their local communities.

The idea for the forum came out of a Methodist Fresh Ways of Working group tasked by the Methodist Conference with supporting the development of new expressions of Church.

The Fresh Ways Practitioners’ Forum is open to church leaders who want to expand their community outreach.

People wishing to broaden their ethnic or language-based congregations or groups are also invited to attend the forum’s first meeting on 3 December from 10am to 4pm at Methodist Church House in London. A light lunch will be provided.

The Rev Joanne Cox, the Methodist Church's Evangelism in Contemporary Culture Officer, commented: “The forum has the potential to be a challenging and encouraging place. It will recognise the work that is happening across the Connexion in the areas of mission, church growth, church planting, language and ethic-based congregational development.”

The Methodist Church is one of the largest Christian denominations in Britain, with nearly 230,000 members and regular contact with over 512,000 people. It has 5,023 churches across the country, and also maintains links with other Methodist churches totalling a worldwide membership of 70 million.